Delanor Manson next to nursing uniforms from the past.
KENTUCKY NURSES ASSOCIATION LEADS BY EXAMPLE patient care in all settings. There are more than 90,000 nurses in Kentucky working in hospitals, physician offices, nursing As a child, Delanor Manson first encountered care facilities, outpatient clinics, schools, the loving care a nurse provides watching correctional facilities and private settings, her grandmother, who was a nurse at the old among others. General Hospital in Louisville. Writer / Jessica Able Photography Provided
Manson, chief executive officer of the Kentucky Nurses Association (KNA), attributes her passion for supporting and advocating for nurses to the steadfast dedication exhibited by her grandmother. The KNA is a professional organization that supports the state’s entire population of nurses. Essentially, it acts as a voice for Kentucky nurses and seeks to work for a healthier Kentucky, according to Manson. In addition to promoting the essential role of registered nurses in the health care field, the KNA serves as an advocate for quality
“In my first year of clinicals I watched nurses communicate with patients and their families and other professionals, and I thought, ‘Wow, they are so phenomenal,’” Manson says. “Then I also saw no one was helping them, so I decided while I was in nursing school that I was going to take care of nurses.” That’s what Manson has done throughout her entire career. In each of her varied professional roles, she has sought to aid nurses in their quest to aid others. Manson earned degrees in nursing and health care management, and has been a 10 / OCTOBER 2020
dynamic leader in both patient care as well as health care administration. She achieved the rank of captain in the U.S. Navy. In her 27 years in the Navy, she applied her nursing education in various positions in the U.S. as well as Japan, Great Britain, Germany, Italy and Puerto Rico. Delanor is the former deputy secretary for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Prior to her work at the KNA, she was the associate vice president of research and design at Hosparus Health in Louisville. There, she provided leaders with innovation strategies, project design and management, and conducted research on best practices in electronic health record management. According to Manson, when the KNA was founded in 1906 the intent was to promote the profession of nursing, and set a standard for education and training. That mission has expanded since then, but the crux of the organization’s vision remains the same.
